Throughout the 1930s, many women regularly wore suits and coats inspired by menswear. One such example is the appropriation of a beefy fabric for this sharply tailored, brown tweed coat by Charles James. James was one of many designers experimenting with draping fabric on the bias, or oblique angle. Having no training as a dressmaker, he was unable to control the fabric’s unwieldy stretch. The interior’s torn lining is evidence of his initial efforts. The coat’s sharp lines and sporty look are not diminished, however, by its technical shortfalls.

Object Number: 96.5.1

Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology
Seventh Avenue at 27 Street
New York City 10001-5992